Incidence and characteristics of COVID-19 in French professional football players during the 2020–2021 season

OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in French professional football players, and to compare the infection incidence with the general population across the first three waves. METHODS: During the 2020–2021 season, all professional football players (n = 1217) in the two primary French leagues underwent weekly testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection by nasopharyngeal PCR, in combination with rigorous infection control measures. RESULTS: Among all players, 572 (47%) tested positive at least once, with no COVID-19-related death or hospital admission. Monthly incidence estimates in players ranged from 1486 to 6731 per 100,000 individuals, i.e. 2–17 times higher than incidence estimates in the general population in France during the study period. CONCLUSION: Almost 50% of professional football players developed SARS-CoV-2 infection during the 2020–2021 season in France, with no severe complication.